After months on end of pandemic disruption, it's finally play time.
Families across Wodonga and Baranduda are glad to be back at our community playgroups.
This week we celebrate National Playgroup Week (March 21 to March 27), a time to recognise the value of playgroups in the community.
The Baranduda Community Centre hosts a community playgroup on Mondays from 9.30am to 11.30am weekly during school terms.
For more community playgroups and details click here.
Playgroups are one of the most popular and enduring grass roots movements for families with young children, and are an important part of the early childhood experience.
The top five reasons to involve your child in playgroup include:
1. Allowing children to develop social skills at their own pace.
Each child has their own personality and their own approach towards developing their social skills but by being involved in playgroup allows them to develop these skills.
2. Building a child's emotional confidence
A major benefit of playgroup is that children come assisted by their parents or other carers. From an emotional point of view, this strengthens the relationship between the child and their carer, because it creates a shared experience.
At the same time, the child meets new people at playgroup, which allows for a safe test of separation from their carer.
3. Encouraging physical activity
There's lots to keep children busy - moulding playdough, running, jumping, singing, twirling and more.
4. Supporting children's imagination and creativity
The key strategy for developing creative thinking in children is allowing them to play in an unstructured way. At playgroup children can play dress-ups or develop play scenarios with dolls, DUPLO and other toys.
5. Learning through role-play
Role play develops children's imaginations and puts them in real-life situations where they need to solve problems and think of solutions.
